I love Physicist, no matter what. I love it like I love all the other records. Maybe because it is different than the other stuff. Some songs might sound a little like SYL but most songs of that Album don't sound like anything that SYL have done so far. And just because it's with Dev on the mic and heavy and faster doesn't mean that it has to sound like Strapping.

I suppose it depends on at what point you consider it. He did not set out to write an SYL record and change his mind because it wasn't going the right direction. Perhaps there were a few songs mulling about in his mind that could have been SYL songs but he knew early on that was not where he wanted to go with them. There was a lot of pressure at that time to do another SYL record but he was not in the frame of mind to do it.

I remember the very night the Physicist concept came about (after a strange conversation about lizards) and it was a very determined idea, not the defeated attempt at SYL that people make it out to be. The Diet Coke of Strapping came from Austin Powers ("not quite evil"), it was a joke.

Whatever, think what you like. That record is what it is because Devin had just been through absolute hell. That is why he doesn't like to talk about it. It is a brilliant result given what he had to work with, I can assure you. Saying it was a failed Strapping record just cheapens it.

Tracy wrote: It is a brilliant result given what he had to work with, I can assure you. Saying it was a failed Strapping record just cheapens it.

Oh, that we could all "fail" so brilliantly. Dev is like sex. Even when he's bad he's still great.

Looping green and blue, and you will go letting yourself certainly the meal once again through the head. But after the departure, you feel free and happily like after your first orgasm - and you will beg for addition. - German review of SYL's "Alien"

Tracy wrote:I suppose it depends on at what point you consider it. He did not set out to write an SYL record and change his mind because it wasn't going the right direction. Perhaps there were a few songs mulling about in his mind that could have been SYL songs but he knew early on that was not where he wanted to go with them. There was a lot of pressure at that time to do another SYL record but he was not in the frame of mind to do it.

I remember the very night the Physicist concept came about (after a strange conversation about lizards) and it was a very determined idea, not the defeated attempt at SYL that people make it out to be. The Diet Coke of Strapping came from Austin Powers ("not quite evil"), it was a joke.

Whatever, think what you like. That record is what it is because Devin had just been through absolute hell. That is why he doesn't like to talk about it. It is a brilliant result given what he had to work with, I can assure you. Saying it was a failed Strapping record just cheapens it.

Huge misunderstanding here.
I enjoy Physicist, it's a great album, with so many killer songs. I really dig it. I would never dare to call it a failed Strapping, never ever. I think you settled the answer in your first paragraph. Physicist is by no mean Strapping. There's no big deal.

She thinks I'm Iron Man, that I don't feel pain...
I don't understand why joy must be feigned...
Yeah I know... That my world is coming down...

WOW!!! i was gonna post a thread exactly about this!!!
its an amazing album

id say it seems more strapping than devy solo however...

And thats really horrifying about devy after infinity, i remember him in a interview he was talking about after alien he said he felt... well he just made this agonising sound... it may show how much heart he puts into his albums

There is one MAJOR difference between Physicist and SYL; Physicist is not angry. With the exception of "Death", perhaps, there is really no aggression on it. It is, as Devin said, fast, cool-sounding music. Anger and aggression are key elements in Strapping, so you can't really say that Physicist is a Strapping record in disguise. They do sound very similar in some ways, though...

It may have been more of an attempt to reach the formula Strapping has that seems to sell and attract way more than Devin's solo stuff usually does, thus bringing a bit of spotlight onto Devin solo band. I'm sure Devin is as amazed as we are that the DTB continues to be largely ignored even to this day.

I'm not saying Dev sat down and decided to take this course of action but it could have been a subconscious willing to bring a Strapping vibe mixed to it.

Pisshead wrote:It may have been more of an attempt to reach the formula Strapping has that seems to sell and attract way more than Devin's solo stuff usually does, thus bringing a bit of spotlight onto Devin solo band. I'm sure Devin is as amazed as we are that the DTB continues to be largely ignored even to this day.

I'm not saying Dev sat down and decided to take this course of action but it could have been a subconscious willing to bring a Strapping vibe mixed to it.

No, honestly. This was right after Infinity, which thanks to Japan was the biggest success Devin had to that point including SYL.

It would make no sense to consciously go the opposite direction - it's just where the record went given his head-space. Physicist started as a jam between Devin, Gene and Jason Newsted. The jam didn't go well so Devin went back to Vancouver and decided to record it with the guys he knew. Granted, because of the musicians who played on the album, it was bound to have a Strapping sound.